Kate and I took made our first visit to Portugal, spending four days with a couple of friends from ACS in the beautiful city of Lisbon. Portugal has been on Kate's hitlist for quite some time, and I will admit that, for some reason, it was never really on mine, although Portugal is one of the few European countries I had yet to visit. However, this trip exceeded all expectations, and a great time was had by all. Here are the pics.
Welcome to Portugal!
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| Sunset in the Alfama |
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| A perfect day in Belem with port and pastries |
Around the streets of Lisboa:
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| Tram 28 is the best introduction to the city, taking you through the best neighborhoods - the Alfama, Chiado, Baixa, and Bairro Alto. |
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| Up and down over the hills of the city. |
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| The 28 on the way down. |
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| Beautiful buildings dot the hill top neighborhood of the Alfama |
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| Lots of character can be found in the Alfama. |
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| With the sun out, most of the windows had clothes out drying. The tiled facades are found throughout Lisbon. |
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| More Alfama... |
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| Fado, the music of Portugal, can be found throughout the Alfama, and all of Lisbon. |
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| Kate with Lindsay and Abby with a view from the Castello |
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| More Lisbon rooftops from the Castello lookout. |
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| This is a normal Friday night out in the Bairro Alto district. The streets are packed with the weekend crowds. |
The perfect day trip to Sintra:
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| The town of Sintra, home to some majestic, over-the-top estates. |
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| Castles dot the hills as you walk from the train station into Sintra. |
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| Castel dos Mouros - 412 meters up, and dominating the skyline |
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| The Quinta de Regaleira was the playground of António Carvalho Monteiro, aka "Moneybags" Monteiro |
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| The wild Palacio Nacional de Pena - another wacky creation of people with too much money |
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| Another view of the Palacio. |
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| They stormed the castle. |
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| And they weren't the only ones. |
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| Lord Byron also fell for the beauty of Sintra |
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| Inside the Palacio Nacional de Sintra |
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| Inside one of the courtyards of the Palacio de Pena |
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| Don't even think of messing with this guy who guards the front entrance to the Palacio |
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| In Sintra, books grow on trees. |
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| and love can be found anywhere, even for cheesy couples and a cheesy photo-op |
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| Kate, Abby, and Lindsay under an arch of the Palacio Nacional, with Sintra in the background. |
Two Museums I Never Thought I Would Ever Go Into, Yet Enjoyed Immensely:
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| The Museum of Coaches |
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| The Museum of Tiles |
And some things I knew I would enjoy - Port and Pastries:
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| This is a pasteis - a delicious egg tart that you eat with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on top. |
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| Port, the perfect drink to wash down the pasteis |
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| This is the most famous pasteis bakery in all of Portugal - Pasteis de Belem |
In Belem:
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| The cloister of the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos in Belem |
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| A different perspective on the beautiful cloister. |
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| Loved the sun coming through the arches |
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| Inside the chapel of the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos |
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| Another view inside the church. |
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| The three ladies in the Cloister. |
But most of all, it was a trip about sunshine and good people:
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| Sangria Espumante in Belem with a view over the Rio Tejo |
